The evolution of European legal integration

This article contributes to the development of theories on European integration by testing and exploring statistical models on the long-term development of legislative activity of the European Commission. Drawing on legal information gained from the European Union’s PreLex database and analyzing it with the help of statistical analyses, we map out growth patterns of EU law between 1976 and 2003. We construct time-series models and models based on non-linear regression. While the performance of models based on the traditional theoretical approaches, intergovernmentalism and neo-functionalism, is rather poor, the analysis suggests that nonlinear dynamic models might be an interesting avenue for future conceptualizations of the EU integration process. This article is based on a paper presented at the ECPR Standing Group on the European Union Second Pan-European Conference on EU Politics, “Implications of a Wider Europe: Politics, Institutions and Diversity”, 24–26 June 2004, Bologna, Italy. We would like to thank the seminar participants for useful comments.     

Political Constitutionalism and the European Union

What kind of constitution is emerging in Europe? There are two approaches to answering this question. The first, a ‘foundational’ approach, rejects the premise: there can be no real constitution in the absence of a ‘demos’, a foundation which exists only nationally. The second, ‘freestanding’ approach, depicts it as paradigmatic of a broader phenomenon of cosmopolitan constitutionalism, based on individual rights guaranteed through a transnational rule of law. Rejecting both for their failure to account for European constitutionalism as a historical process of polity‐building, a third approach, ‘political constitutionalism’, is proposed, capturing the dynamic quality of constitutionalisation in the EU. From this perspective, what is emerging in Europe is a constitution that reflects a common good (predominantly conceived in economic terms), albeit one which is legally, political and socially contested. It is by capturing this complex picture of the political formation of Europe that the constitutional question will be most fruitfully pursued.     

以欧盟为中心看欧洲私法的法典化趋向

随着欧盟政治一体化的不断推进,欧洲法律一体化的步伐也日益加快,其中欧洲私法的法典化趋势尤其引人瞩目.欧盟自身的发展动力,以及法学界围绕<欧洲民法典>工程进行的学术准备,推动欧盟采取正式行动,着手解决欧洲私法面临的困境;其立法规划最终落实为一项所谓的<共同参照框架>.这份即将出台的法律文件是实质的法典编纂,将引发一场深远的欧洲私法的法典化变革.然而受制于欧盟权限,欧洲私法的法典化呈现出不同于传统的独特性.     

Quasi-National European Identity and European Democracy

Democracy may well be the primary virtue of political systems. Yet European politics is marked by a democracy deficit that will not disappear spontaneously. While legal and political theory on this issue is dominated by supporters of civic institutionalism and constitutional republicanism, liberal nationalists seem to be split. They justify the civic nationhood of member states, but they shrink away from the idea of a European people. This essay claims that a quasi-national conception of European identity can be conducive to the rise of a democratic political union of Europe. It discusses the mechanisms and rules for Europeanization of the sense of equal dignity and solidarity. This approach to supranational identity is explicitly instrumental and orientated towards the long run. However, the main liberal objections against it can be countered.     

欧洲一体化对英国国际私法的影响

随着 1973年英国步入欧洲共同体 ,英国国际私法不应再被孤立地看待 ,它与欧洲联盟统一国际私法及欧洲联盟成员国中的大陆法系国家的国际私法紧密地联系在一起。它们相互影响、相互渗透、相互作用、相互促进。作为欧洲联盟 15个成员国中仅有的两个普通法法系国家之一 ,而且是普通法发源地的英国 ,其国际私法受到了欧洲一体化空前的、巨大的影响。这种影响主要体现在 :推动了英国国际私法制定法的新发展 ;开拓了英国国际私法的新法源 ;创立了英国冲突法案件的新类型 ;提供了英国解决冲突案件的新方法     

欧共体“无争议债权支付令”介评

欧共体2004年4月21日通过的第805号规则对“无争议的债权（uncontested claims）”设立了“欧洲执行令”，该支付令可以在各成员国直接得到承认和执行，从而简化了欧共体成员国之间民商事判决的执行手续，进一步加强了各国在判决承认与执行方面的合作，体现了欧洲国际私法的发展方向。     

Joint Dynamics of Legal and Economic Integration in the European Union

We evaluate the causal linkages between the economic and legal integration process that has characterised the formation of the European Union. Specifically, using the frequency of national references for preliminary rulings sent to the European Court of Justice as a measure of legal integration we investigate its joint dynamics with the expansion of intra-EU trade over the 1960–1998 time period. Our objective is to formally test whether any such linkages exist and the direction within which they have operated.     

Theories on the Economics of Regulation: A Survey of the Literature from a European Perspective

This article is, on one hand, a survey of the core theoretical literature on the economics of public regulation; and, on the other hand, a cohesive discussion about how the literature has matured and how recent contributions on political and regulatory institutions—US and European—are related to, and affect the results of, former lines of research. We conclude that the traditional distinction between public interest theories and special interest theories has lost validity due to the entry of game theory and institutional research. The evolving institutional analysis provides a sophisticated interpretation of possible corrective rationales inherent in regulatory restrictions, and is as such an important complement to the still vigorous special interest literature focusing on the redistributive rationales and their effects.     

European Law Beyond ‘Ever Closer Union’ Repositioning the Concept,its Thrust and the ECJ's Comparative Methodology

The article investigates competing understandings of European law. It supports, against the prevailing EU‐centred understanding, an ecumenical concept that embraces EU law, supplementing international instruments, the European Convention on Human Rights and, importantly, various domestic laws enacting or responding to such transnational law, as well as European comparative law. To keep the concept in sync with European politics, it posits a new idea that binds the parts together: to provide for a European legal space rather than further European integration (the ever closer union). This idea can also serve as European law's functional equivalent to forming one legal order. European law thus conceived grasps the puzzling complex of interdependent legal orders, sets a common frame for corresponding reconstructions (European composite constructions, legal pluralism, network theories, federalism or intergovernmentalism) and allows forces with diverging outlooks to meet in one legal field, on one more neutral disciplinary platform. Within this framework, European comparative law finds a new mission as well as a sound legal basis.     

欧洲法院初步裁决制度评述

初步裁决制度是欧盟法中的一项特殊的法律程序制度,适用初步裁决制度的案件占欧洲法院受理案件量的大多数.欧洲法院通过初步裁决制度对欧盟法进行解释,积极扩张其司法管辖的范围,促进了自身和成员国法院的合作,保证了欧盟法律在属于不同法律体系、适用不同诉讼规则的各成员国法院的统一适用,成为推动欧洲一体化进程的重要力量.就初步裁决的运行机制、这一制度本身存在的主要问题以及该制度的改革等进行了深入的探研,以期获得对欧盟法的这一重要制度的一个正确、客观、全面的认识.     

Displacing your Principal. Two Historical Case Studies of Some Interest for the Constitutional Future of Europe

The framework of public decisions, and particularly the provision of law, is seen here as an agency contract. What distinguishes this contract is the nature of the right delegated to the agent: The capacity to make law gives the opportunity to take advantage of the incompleteness of the constitutional contract. The agency relationship may be loosened or even reversed. This article tries to draw some lessons from the English and American history in that matter and applies them to the making of the future European State.     

The Open Architecture of European Human Rights Law

The evolution of the European human rights regime is often described as the development of an integrated order with the European Convention of Human Rights as its governing 'constitutional instrument'. It is argued that the regime is better regarded as pluralist - characterised by a heterarchical relationship between its constituent parts that is ultimately defined politically and not legally. The emergence and workings of this pluralist order are traced through the interaction of the European Court of Human Rights with domestic courts in the European Union. These cases not only show conflicts over questions of ultimate supremacy but also significant convergence and harmony in practice. The analysis of the factors leading to this convergence indicates that central characteristics of pluralism – incrementalism and the openness of ultimate authority – have contributed significantly to the generally smooth evolution of the European human rights regime. This suggests a broader appeal of pluralist models as alternatives to constitutionalism in the construction of postnational authority and law.     

欧洲法院的司法独立性对欧洲一体化进程的贡献

半个世纪以来,欧洲一体化进程的实践证明,经济一体化、政治一体化的实现都离不开统一的欧洲法律体系的建设。欧洲法院司法实践证明,在欧洲一体化进程中,欧洲法院司法独立的作用功不可没。文章从分析欧洲法院的特点入手阐述其司法独立性及其在欧洲一体化进程中的作用。     

Characteristics and prospects for East Asian economic integration: a Korean perspective

In terms of economic regionalism, East Asia lags far behind other major regions. It was only recently that institutionalization of regional economic integration was started among East Asia countries. However, functional economic integration has continuously proceeded among East Asian economies even without a region-wide RTA. This paper analyzes the trends of functional economic integration both in terms of trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) among East Asian economies, and reviews recent developments of economic regionalism in East Asia. It also addresses the prospects for a region-wide FTA in East Asia and draws some policy implications for East Asian countries at this juncture of economic regionalism in East Asia.

Jurisprudential Dilemmas of European Law

Making a first sketch of philosophical issues arising fromEuropean Community law I want to present a series ofmore or less obvious, and more or less interrelated dilemmas,or even double binds.(i) Deepening the community becomes incompatible withwidening membership. (ii) National states seem bothnecessary for and obstructive in articulating transnationalproblems. (iii) The more democracy is needed as a warrantfor the public exercise of political power in Europe, themore the very concept of democracy on a European scaleevades understanding. (iv) European unity presupposes aunifying rule of law, while member states have radicallydifferent conceptions of this principle. (v) Even the verycore of European integration, the common market, is subjectto two conflicting and, indeed, incompatible doctrines ofcompetition. In explaining the nature of each dilemma I willtry to take my cue from the Maastricht Treaty wherever thisseems suitable. Then I will elaborate on the jurisprudentialproblems involved in it. Finally, each section will be closedby an attempt to state the nature of these problems inphilosophical terms.     

Post‐Sovereignty and the European Legal Space

The political constitution of the European polity has become strained in recent years by insistent pressures on its institutional capacity to resolve social problems. The article examines the EU's polity crisis in the context of the development of a distinctive modern conception of secular constitutional authority, focused on the ideal of sovereign self‐determination. As the work of Neil MacCormick illustrates, the EU provides a radical challenge to the on‐going capacity of the concept of sovereignty to provide a framework to address problems of legitimacy. The article explores the nature of this challenge, its historical context and its consequences with reference to debates over the nature of constitutional pluralism. It sets out a path to the renewal of the European constitutional debate through a re‐consideration of secular constitutional authority and the necessity of its connection to the idea of sovereignty. The article seeks to re‐engage in the task of ‘questioning sovereignty’.     

The European Union in international environmental negotiations: a legal perspective on the internal decision-making process

From an EU point of view, most international environmental agreements are mixed. This means that both the European Community (EC) and its member states are party to the agreement. As the participation of the EC in international negotiations and agreements is properly arranged by the Treaty establishing the European Community, but the EU member states’ participation is not legally organized on the EU level, the internal decision-making process regarding mixed agreements is rather complicated. Insights into this process are needed to understand the representation and the role of the European Union in international environmental negotiations. This article clarifies the legal framework of the EU decision-making process regarding such negotiations.

从信息法角度评《欧洲版权准则》

《欧洲版权准则》是由欧洲数名顶尖版权专家耗费8年时间于2010年完成的。制订这个准则的目的是增强欧洲版权法的透明度和一致性。起草者希望这部准则作为欧洲各国版权立法的参考和示范,能够协调和统一欧洲未来版权立法的标准。但是,这个准则在学术界并没有得到应有的重视。当前从信息法角度,结合信息技术的发展及我国版权立法和司法实践,对这部法律文件的特点、优点和不足进行分析,着重对网络环境下版权制度的变革和发展,做出评价和展望十分必要。     

欧洲一体化与欧盟制宪:一种宪法学的解读

作为世界上最成功的目标和价值共同体 ,欧盟制宪既是欧洲一体化进展的必然结果 ,也是欧洲一体化深化和扩大的现实需要。用宪法学的理论分析欧盟制宪的动因、宪政基础 ,有利于从理论上解决欧洲宪法制定过程中可能产生的问题 ,也有利于向世界范围扩展宪政理念。